Alpinestars has a new Drystar®XF line this year, XF stands for Extra Flow. From the garments that we’ve looked at so far that is an appropriate name for the direction they have taken the line.
The Alpinestars Monteira Drystar®XF Jacket is a 3/4 length touring style jacket that offers great ventilation and waterproofing.
The Monteira Drystar®XF Jacket uses Alpinestars proprietary waterproofing technology, Drystar®, along with a DWR treatment to help water bead up and roll off and it has the added luxury of large ventilation panels. There are large zips that go from under the arm up to the collar at an angle. If you unzip these and undo the hook and loop at the bottom of the section, then the large triangular shaped resulting panel can be folded into itself and stored near the main zipper. There is a small magnet on the chest strap that holds the flap back and exposes the direct to the body vent panel that hides behind it. On the rear of the jacket are two large exhaust vents on either side of the back protector compartment that will help to pull air through the jacket and keep you cool. There are also two large forearm vents that go from the wrist to the elbow (One call out on these forearm zippers: they have a hoop and loop strap adjuster to hold them open +1, but the zipper hangs on the material where the strap mounts on the interior of the pocket and it’s a little fussy/takes an aggressive tug to get it closed -1). So you have waterproofing, airflow, and there is also a removable full sleeve thermal liner.
As a 3/4 style touring jacket, you would expect storage pockets on the Monteira Drystar XF jacket. Alpinstars doesn’t disappoint! There are two waterproof cargo pockets at the belly and one at the lower back. On the interior there is one hook and loop pocket and one zippered waterproof document pocket, both at the belly. The chest vents limit what Alpinestars was able to do as far as chest pockets, but I think they’ve maximized storage and airflow in this design.
The Monteira Drystar®XF jacket has adjusters at the waist, biceps, forearm, and cuff. The cuff adjuster is unique, it is a strap adjuster fed through a buckle and when you have it cinched down enough the underside of that strap also has a hook and loop patch to attach to the underside of the cuff for a double secure closure. This also keeps that strap from flopping in the wind. The hem of the jacket also has a drawcord. The collar closure is an adjustable snap and it can be pinned open at the left chest as well. There are also stretch panels at the shoulders. The main zipper is covered by a storm flap and it has a magnetic base so it comes together easily on it’s own when you try to zip it up. We’d like to see a two-way zipper on 3/4 length jackets, but Alpinestars has the zipper about an inch or two above the hem of the jacket so it should work for most riders.
Most of the Monteira jacket is 450D laminated construction with 600D overlays in the shoulders and elbows. Alpinestars has included Nucleon Flex Pro CE level 2 armor at the shoulders and elbows. There are pockets for optional back and chest protection (see related products below) or you can opt for a Alpinestars Tech-Air® system. There are reflective accents at the chest, shoulders, lower back, and cuffs for improved nighttime visibility.
The Alpinestars Monteira Drystar®XF jacket will work well for adventure touring and commuter riders in warm to cold, rain or shine weather. The Drystar® waterproofing and large ventilation panels give this jacket 3 season functionality, maybe 4 seasons depending on where you are. A great new product and an innovative option! :: Mike, 12/14/2022
